The Unwanted Protector
by riviera41797
Summary: Dr. Brennan has an unwanted, and unknown admirer, who wishes to protect her from finding out about Booth and Cam.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hope you enjoy this new story I came up with – thank you for reading, and please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks! –R-

The Unwanted Protector

Adam Rogne buffed the floor carefully; making sure every surface was polished to a high shine. His face was a mask of deep concentration, suggesting more intense work than mere floor cleaning; however keeping things clean was satisfying work for him. It was a duty many took for granted, but he was good at it, and he knew it.

At 31 years old, Adam was the youngest member of the sanitation and maintence staff at the Jeffersonian. He worked out regularly, and was proud of his appearance. He was often told he resembled Jensen Ackles, right down to the hazel/green eyes. An ironic fact considering he hadn't had a date in months. He inhaled, and went on with his work, shaking his head at his thoughts.

Typically, he did the more physically intense cleaning work after hours, when he didn't bother or get in the way of the other employees. He glanced around the Medico Legal Lab. This was by far his favorite part of the institution, and he saved this part for last. It was deserted and quiet, and the only sound was the occasional footsteps of the security guards doing their rounds. His wrist watch beeped, indicating it was 1am. Half hour until he was off for the night.

He had been working at the Jeffersonian institution for just over 9 months. His official title was sanitation and maintenance manager, but what that title really boiled down to is janitor. He didn't mind. He got to see a lot of incredible things behind the scenes that no one else had the opportunity to see, and he had the daily pleasure of talking to Dr. Temperance Brennan.

He knew she was way out of his league, professionally, intellectually, and more importantly, personally. She was brilliant, beautiful, and kind. He was stunned that she even bothered to talk to him on the few occasions he entered her office to empty the waste basket, sweep or vacuum.

On more than one occasion, he'd interrupted Dr. Brennan and her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth after hours, working on case files, or paperwork. Sometimes just hanging out talking. Her partner, whom she simply referred to as "Booth", never spoke to him, or even seemed to notice him, she always did. She always made it a point to say hello, and to inquire on how he was. Maybe she was just being polite, maybe it was something more, he thought hopefully. Stranger things had happened, right?

This Booth person sure did spend a lot of time around her, he mused. Booth was obviously drawn to Dr. Brennan, based on not only the amount of time he seemed to spend with her, but how he talked about her and defended her to others. For an FBI Agent, he sure spent a lot of time here at the lab and not so much at the FBI, or out in the field where he belonged.

Idly, Adam wondered why the two of them were not an item romantically. Any fool could see that Booth had the hots for Dr. Brennan, and the way she looked at him was similar. Agent Booth's body language was evident he fancied himself as a protector of her. The way his eyes followed her around the lab regardless who he was talking to. Dr. Brennan sometimes seemed oblivious to his apparent yearning. How could someone as brilliant as her be so blind?

Shrugging, he finished the floor, and was ready to go home. He walked towards the employee break room to punch out, when he heard a conversation drifting from the autopsy suite. It sounded like Agent Booth, and while he knew he shouldn't he pressed himself up against the wall, to listen to what he was saying.

"Cam…we shouldn't be doing this here…" Booth was saying in a low, urgent voice. Adam heard the distinct sound of a zipper being raised or lowered, then a female voice's husky chuckle

"Oh come on Seeley, don't you think it's sort of exciting? Come on…." She whispered to him. He heard him groan, and she let out a long sigh, and she said to him in a sarcastic tone "You afraid Dr. Brennan's gonna catch us Seeley?"

Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing….Agent Booth was having an affair with Dr. Brennan's boss? And Dr. Brennan didn't know? How could this Booth person do this? He was so sure that Agent Booth had feelings for her…this would really hurt her.

He risked peeking around the corner into the autopsy suite, Dr. Saroyan, or "Cam" as Agent Booth called her was standing in front of him, her arms crossed, her head tilted back, a smirk on her face. Booth had his hands on his hips, and one foot in front of him in a confrontational stance.

"Leave her out of this Camille, I mean it" the FBI Agent warned her in an angry tone, he poked a finger at her, his face a mask of anger.

"Maybe its time she knew what was going on…." Dr. Saroyan trailed off, dragging one finger down his chest suggestively, lifting one shoulder.

Unable to look away, yet scared of being caught Adam went on watching the heated exchange. He was so angry at this Booth person. How could he pretend to care for Dr. Brennan, and then do this? He had to know it would hurt her; it was Dr. Brennan's boss!!

"Cam, you listen to me. I don't want Bones knowing. This is none of her concern" he said, gesturing between them "If she needs to know, I'll tell her when _I'm _ready…" he whispered harshly

"I think she should know now, don't you? I mean, her partner sleeping with her boss?" Dr. Saroyan chuckled mirthlessly, and began to pace.

"You know what Camille? Maybe this isn't such a good idea anyway, maybe we should uh, just end it now before it gets out of hand" Agent Booth said, running his hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh, and watching her pace around the room.

"Fine. You want to end it, you got it Seeley" Dr. Saroyan replied nonchalantly, and added "But don't come crawling back to me to scratch your itch" she said, and began gathering her things.

Adam knew he had to get out of there, he didn't want them knowing he overheard the entire exchange. He hurried to the employee break room and sat down on the chair, placing his hands on the table in front of him.

He couldn't let this slide. Dr. Brennan was essentially alone in the world. He had to do something to let her know that he felt her pain, to protect her, to shield her from the world even. He would be the one to treasure her, and take care of her. He appreciated her intelligence, her beauty. Then she would look at him the way she looked at Agent Booth. He didn't deserve her anyway.

He was so angry. He pounded his fist on the table, shaking the empty coffee mugs and plates.

Maybe once Dr. Brennan was no longer around, Agent Booth would realize what he lost.

End chapter 1 –

A/N: Sorry a bit long to start with …!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Much thanks to all those who took the time to review – it is very much appreciated! – R-

Chapter 2 –

It had been a very long day. Temperance Brennan had worked on two set of remains, one for Booth, and one from Bone Storage. Zach would be completing the preliminary findings on both, after she'd begun the cursory examination, and directed him where to begin.

She sighed, and gazed at the sheaf of completed reports in front of her, satisfied they were all finally done. All they needed was Booth's signature, and they'd be off her desk. She set them in a stack off to the side, for the next time he stopped over; he could take them back and sign everything. She took one last long drink of the herbal tea she'd made herself hours ago, and grimaced slightly at its cold temperature.

The lab was quiet. Everyone had gone home hours ago. Angela had put forth an honest effort to get her to leave with her, but she refused, wanting to finish up. It's not like she had any plans anyway, other than starting a new chapter in the novel she had recently started. She did promise to call her on Saturday though, to maybe go out for drinks later.

Leaning back in her chair, she glanced at the clock on her computer, it was nearly midnight. She reached back and released the elastic from her hair, letting her locks swirl around her face. She shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair, and lightly rubbed her scalp. It was nearly midnight on a Friday night, and where was she? At work, at the lab, this said volumes about her social life. She was about to gather her belongings and get ready to leave, when Adam, the maintenance guy came whistling into her office. He stopped short, surprised to see her there, and smiled.

"Hello Dr. Brennan, I am surprised to see you here so late on a Friday night, how've you been?" Adam questioned, leaning on the cart he'd been pushing with his cleaning supplies on it, and crossed one leg in front of the other. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips, his greenish hazel eyes twinkling merrily.

Temperance was surprised a man like him, young, very handsome, energetic was working as a maintenance man at a museum. Typically, those types of positions were given to the older generation as a supplemental income. Unable to resist her curious nature, she smiled, and asked "Adam, why are you doing this for a living? You seem bright, did you go to college?"

Adam took a step into her office, and slid his hand into his pocket, and ran his other hand through his dark blonde tousled hair. "I went to college for photo journalism, and have had my resume and portfolio out there for nearly a year, with no hits. I am not really the waiter or food industry type, and while I have been offered modeling jobs, that isn't really me either. I am sort of a loner I guess. I don't mind being alone, so I am just biding my time until something in my field opens up. Besides, there is a lot of interesting things to see here" he said casually, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I suppose I could relocate to New York, or another big city, but I really like the DC area" he added, and asked "excuse me, let me just grab your waste basket" he said, and walked to the side of her desk. She scooted back in her chair to allow his access to her wastebasket. As he leaned over to pick it up, she caught the scent of his cologne, sort of musky spicy scent. As he took a step back and away, his eyes caught hers, and he winked at her.

"So you have any exciting plans for the weekend then Dr. Brennan?" he asked easily, as he emptied her wastebasket. He strode back to her desk, where she was still sitting in the same position, and quickly replaced it. This time no wink.

"I am going to work on my novel. Nothing exciting though, no" she told him, and stood.

Adam looked as if he were about to say something, he stood there, gazing at her. After a moment, he finally said "Well….have a good weekend then. Maybe I'll see you around again sometime"

She smiled, and replied "Night". Adam pushed his cart out her sight, and she could hear him whistling some tune she wasn't familiar with, the wheels of his cart squeaking as he pushed it away.

He seemed very nice. The only time she ever saw him was when she worked very late, and then they only had small talk, casual conversations. It was interesting that he had gone to college.

She spent some time putting her files away, and shutting down her computer. Finally, she gathered her coat, bag, and keys. She shut the lights off as she left her office, and shut the door.

Her footsteps echoed as she strode down the corridors of the Jeffersonian. She nodded at Charlie, the security guard on duty at the desk near the entrance to the parking garage.

The garage was also deserted. One or two cars parked here and there, but for the most part, it was empty. She approached her car, and frowned. Her car was sitting at an odd angle. She walked more quickly to the side of her car, to discover all 4 of her tires were flat. They didn't appear to be slashed, more than likely, someone let out all the air.

"Great…" she muttered to herself, as she began searching her bag for her cell phone.

"Dr. Brennan?" she heard a voice say behind her

Startled, she jumped, and dropped the rogue cell phone she'd just located. It broke into two pieces, and the face cracked on the display.

"Adam! You surprised me, I didn't hear you approach…" she said, as she stooped to retrieve the pieces of her phone. She just got this new phone too, after hers had been fried when the whole Gravedigger situation happened.

"Is there a problem Dr. Brennan?" Adam asked her, concern evident in his voice. He took a step beside her, and crouched next to her car. He ran his hands over the surface of the rear driver's side tire. He stood and took a visual inventory of the remaining tires, saying nothing.

"Someone seems to have let the air out of my tires. I was just going to call a cab" she grumbled, holding out the remains of her cell phone.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. If I wouldn't have surprised you, you wouldn't have dropped your phone. Let me make it up to you. I'll give you a ride home. It's the least I can do" he said, and offered her an apologetic smile. His hands thrust in the pockets of his leather jacket, he shrugged.

In spite of herself and the situation, she smiled. "Sure. I appreciate it Adam, I'll just call for service tomorrow" she unlocked her car long enough to toss the remains of her cell phone on the drivers seat. She relocked her car, and turned to face him.

"My car is just over here" he gestured, and she followed him across the parking structure. They approached a flashy red Camaro. Using a key fob, he clicked a button and the car let out a bleep, indicating it was unlocked, and the alarm was disengaged.

"Nice car" she commented, opening the passenger door, and slipping into the sports car.

Adam shut the driver's door, and turned to her. "Thanks. You live far?" he asked, starting the car, the powerful engine roaring to life. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the lot, squealing the tires.

"No, it's not far. I have a condo over off of K Street" she replied, and gave him directions.

After a few moments of driving in silence, she said "Adam….you missed the turn back there. I said to go right…" she looked at him and frowned. She was tired and wanted to go home

He said nothing. He reached in his pocket, and withdrew a handkerchief. Thinking he was going to blow his nose, she said nothing and waited, irritated.

Suddenly, without warning, he slammed on the brakes; one hand pushing her shoulders back into the seat, the other hand thrust the handkerchief into her face. She knew the substance on the cloth would more than likely render her unconscious, and she should not inhale or breathe, but she instinctively took a deep breath to shout as darkness crept in at the edges of her vision, she lifted her hands to push him away, to struggle, but her limbs felt weak and leaden. What felt like minutes was only seconds, and she found she was unable to fight it anymore, she passed out, her chin resting on her chest, her arms fell limply into her lap.

Adam released the brake, and began to drive again. Using the power window button, he lowered the driver's side window and tossed the handkerchief out. He glanced over at Dr. Brennan, long lashed rested on her pale cheeks. Her breathing was even and deep.

Once Agent Booth discovered how much he cared for her, now that she was out of the picture, maybe he'd think twice about taking someone so special for granted.

Adam knew that only he could make sure that she never felt alone, or taken for granted again. Once she saw how much he valued her intelligence, her beauty, and her personality, she would realize how little she needed Agent Booth, or anyone at the Jeffersonian, for that matter.

He smiled and drove into the night.

End this chapter

A/N: (yikes! Another long one! Sorry about that!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Adam pulled into the driveway of his small white house, and shut the engine off. He tugged the keys out of the ignition, and tossed them into his pocket.

Moonlight streamed through the trees surrounding his property, casting light across his home. He glanced over at the passenger in his car. She was still breathing evenly, but he knew she would be awakening soon.

Adam lived 25 miles outside of DC, in a small community. His home was slightly secluded on the outskirts of a small forest. It was hard keeping his Camaro clean, as the road that led to his house was gravel. He often spotted deer, rabbits and other small animals in his back yard, and had on more than one occasion nearly hit a deer who ran in front of his car in the early evenings. The song of crickets and frogs filled the night air with their evening orchestra of sounds. The night air was cool, with just a slight breeze stirring the leaves on the trees.

Adam quickly exited the sports car, and walked up the rear steps; the motion detector light had flashed on and illuminated his yard. He fumbled with his keys, after a moment he managed to unlock the side door, propping it open with a brick he kept on his back steps.

After entering the kitchen, he switched on the light, and opened the door that led to the lower level, and flicked on the switch to the left of the entrance. Adam went back out to the car, to his sleeping occupant.

He opened the passenger door, and slipped his left arm around her shoulders, and his right under her knees, gently withdrawing her from the car. He kicked the door shut, and proceeded into his home. He was assaulted by her light, flowery scent that drifted up from her still form. She was so light, hardly weighing anything at all, he marveled, yet so strong, so capable. He stopped a moment at the top of the stairs to his lower level, and just gazed down at her. He sighed and ascended the stairs.

His lower level was all one room, with a small bathroom off to the side. There were no windows, but it was decorated nice, casual. His younger sister, Isabelle, had stayed with him for a short time, prior to her leaving for a new job offer she accepted in California. Her computer was still set up in the corner of the room.

He gently placed Temperance on the single daybed, and struggled to remove her jacket. After a few moments of maneuvering her unconscious form, he laid her back and removed her shoes. Satisfied she was comfortable, he took one long look at her, and went into the small bathroom and drew a glass of water, should she be thirsty when she awoke.

He dissolved a sedative into the water to keep her groggy, so he could talk to her.

Of course she would be angry upon waking, confused, perhaps even frightened. After she'd calmed down, and he spoke to her, they could discuss their future. He knew he had to tell her about her traitor partner and boss, and she'd feel hurt.

Betrayed.

He'd be there to comfort her. To offer ideas on how they could build a new life together, without people who would only hurt her in the end anyway.

He set the glass on the small round table beside the bed, and turned on the lamp. There. She was resting comfortably, and would no doubt awaken soon. He returned to the upper level, and locked the door at the top of the stairs securely.

Things had gone so fast. He'd thought this out in his mind over the last few days, upon his discovery of Agent Booths indiscretions. Adam wasn't sure he could even go through with it, wondering if he should just let things work out naturally, but he didn't want to see her hurt. He'd always been the caretaker type. He'd cared for his ailing mother in the 2 years before she succumbed to cancer.

The more he thought about it, the more he knew that he could take care of her. It was what she really needed. A connection. He was anxious for her to awaken, so they could talk.

A/N: More soon! Let me know your thoughts, its appreciated


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Temperance Brennan struggled up from unconsciousness. Her limbs felt heavy, leaden, and her mouth felt as though she'd spent several hours chewing on cotton balls. She felt herself lying down, no noise to be heard at all, she was engulfed in complete silence.

Her eyelids didn't seem to want to open, but after a moment of struggling, she managed to get them open. Frowning, as the room came into focus, she searched her memory on where she was and what had happened. She wasn't at home, and she wasn't at the lab….where was she? This wasn't Booths place, nor was it Angela's. How did she get here?

Blinking, she turned her gaze to her surroundings. She was lying on a daybed with a black metal frame, and a dark purple cover, several pillows on the bed. Her jacket was draped over the end of the bed, her shoes on the floor beside her. A small round table was next to the bed, with a simple lamp and a glass of water. She snatched up the glass, and greedily gulped the water, slacking her thirst. She set the glass down, and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Then it all came rushing back. Adam, the cleaning guy. He'd been driving her home, and slammed on the brakes, and thrust a cloth covered with some substance to render her unconscious. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly 5am Saturday.

_Why had he done this?_ She wondered to herself silently, mulling the situation over. He seemed nice, intelligent. She couldn't imagine why he'd want to kidnap her. Perhaps if she tried reasoning with him, they could clear this up. Booth would be furious at him, as would Angela; she grimaced at the thought of Booth loosing it with Adam.

She stood, and the room swam in front of her eyes. She swayed for a moment, and took a deep breath. She closed them briefly, and opened them again, her vision focused on a lavender print wallpaper. Glancing around the room, she took a visual inventory of the room. She seemed to be in the lower level of a home, no windows, and a computer in the corner, a bookshelf with an array of fiction novels, the bed, night stand, and a room off to the side with a bathroom. The floor had a grey shag carpet. Off to the left, she spotted the stairs.

She quickly walked up the stairs, and tried the knob. The door was locked. She shook the knob and knocked, and called out "Hello? Is anyone there? Adam?" she was greeted with silence. She knocked again, and called out louder "Hello?"

She sank down on the step and considered her options. She was locked in here. No one knew she was missing, and likely wouldn't until at least Monday.

Suddenly, she felt very tired again. She rose slowly and went back down the stairs. She sank back down on the bed, and leaned her head up against the wall, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, Adam was standing before her, his face expressionless. "Dr. Brennan, how are you feeling?" he queried, concern evident in his voice

She sat back up with a start, causing the room to spin again; she was surprised to see him. She didn't hear him come down the steps at all…how long had she had her eyes closed? Did she drift off to sleep…did she?

Temperance frowned, and looked down at her hands, and back up at him again. She was so tired, felt so weak. He must have drugged her, but how?

She licked her lips, and opened mouth to speak, and found no words. Adam smiled compassionately, and said "I know. You must be tired, and confused as to where you are and why you are here, right?" he asked her, crouching down so he was eye level with her.

She managed to croak out "Adam…I don't understand…why…?" she was thirsty again, she glanced over to the empty glass, but it was full of water again. Adam noticed her line of vision, and handed her the glass. "Here….have a sip" he encouraged gently

She drank the entire glass, and he took it from her. The water was cool and delicious; she finished the entire glass again.

Her arms seemed so heavy…"did you…did you give me something to make me tired? A sedative?" she managed with a frown

"Dr. Brennan, we need to talk. I need to explain to you why I did what I did. I never meant to scare or hurt you. Please…please understand that I am actually doing you a favor, and protecting you" he pleaded, watching her for some sort of reaction.

He stood, and began pacing, she longed to stand, to fight, to escape, but she was so tired, so weak…_what could be wrong with me?_ She wondered to herself, thinking of any possible ailments that would case this reaction

"Let me begin by telling you that I admire your work, your intelligence, everything. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet you, and get to know you. I've recently discovered some disturbing information, and I wanted to protect you as much as I could from the person responsible. You may wonder why would I care, why am I even bothering to get involved?" he stopped and looked at her.

Her eyes were so heavy, but she was curious, so she managed to stay awake. "I don't need to be protected Adam" she mumbled, thinking he sounded like Booth

His eyes softened, and he shook his head and smiled "Everyone needs to be protected Temperance…I may call you Temperance?" he glanced at her quickly, then went on pacing without waiting for her response.

"Temperance….its your partner" he stated, and looked to make sure she was still listening

Her eyebrows rose, "Booth? What about him?"

Adam signed heavily, as if the news he was to deliver was devastating.

"Temperance…your partner, Agent Booth is sleeping with your boss, Dr. Saroyan" he said in a defeated tone.

Temperance said nothing, then said after a pause, "Adam…I know that"

Adam looked stunned. "You….you know? How do you know? Did he tell you?" he sputtered, his eyes wide "Are you okay…?"

"No. However I have seen the looks between them, their body language, as have Angela and Hodgins. He is obviously not ready for everyone to know, so he is keeping it a secret. He'll tell me when he is ready. Adam, was this what you brought me here to tell me? To protect me from?" she asked quietly, fighting sleep "You don't need to protect me from Booth"

Adam stared at her for a long moment. He turned his back to her and put one foot on the stair that led to the upper level.

Finally, he said to her in a low tone "I guess you don't really need my protection, do you? You don't seem hurt at your partner's actions. I can't let you go though. I have plans for us Temperance. They don't give you the respect you deserve, the dignity you deserve. I can give you that. We can start a life together here. You'll come to understand in time. You rest now. You work so hard, you deserve the rest. We'll talk later, I'll bring your lunch this afternoon." he said and took the stairs two at a time, and was gone.

Temperance finally let herself slip into unconsciousness, wondering how anyone would find her.

End chapter 4

Well? What do you think so far? Let me know. –R-


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Much thanks to each of you who took the time to review my story, I appreciate it! –R-

Chapter 5

Adam sank down into the deep plush maroon sofa in his living room, held his head in his hands and let out a deep, ragged sigh.

Temperance wasn't awake when he'd brought her lunch this afternoon. He glanced at his mother's old grandfather clock. It was just after 5pm now. He'd try again in a while. He heard no sound indicating she was awake now. He sat up, and looked around. Plants were scattered throughout the living room and kitchen. Large Ferns, Schefferela, several African violets, a few potted palms. His mother loved her plants.

His hardwood floors were cool beneath is bare feet. Light filtered through the sheer window treatments, giving the room a warm glow as the evening sun streamed in. The window was open slightly, lifting the sheers as the breeze filtered through them.

Adam considered what Temperance had revealed earlier. He hadn't been able to think of anything else all day. He tried, but his mind kept returning to it.

This changed everything.

She knew. She KNEW about Agent Booth and Dr. Saroyan

She's known all along.

She wasn't supposed to have known.

He was supposed to break the news to her gently, and she would be everlastingly grateful to him. Then they were to begin their lives together. How could he, in good conscious keep her here? It was wrong. He knew it was wrong, and yet…

She didn't seem as into him as he was into her. Not that he could make an honest judgment in the short time they'd spent together, and her under the influence of the drugs he'd slipped into her water. He certainly couldn't go on drugging her. As it was, she'd have little to no memory of her entire time her because of that drug. Sure, she'd recall him driving her and then subduing her, but not much after that. Maybe he could talk to her, ease her off of the drugs, and let her go home. Explain things. Make her see; make her understand his intentions, what his plan had been.

Would she understand? Would she press charges? He wondered silently to himself, raising his head, and gazing out the window into the woods, mulling the situation over

_Of course she would_, he thought bitterly. Agent Booth would see to that.

In fact….he shuddered; he wasn't relishing the fact of dealing with HIM at all.

Now Adam began to panic, his heart rate elevated, his breathing came out rapidly. Maybe he didn't think this through as well as he'd thought. He'd obviously taken his fantasy's too far. Kidnapping was a federal offense. He'd go to jail.

Adam stood and surveyed his small home, his surroundings. He regretted what he knew he had to do, but saw no other way. He wasn't going to jail. Not when his intensions had been honorable. Booth would never ever believe him or let anyone else believe him either.

He went to his bedroom closet and pulled out his suitcase, and took his time packing his belongings with care. He used all of the suitcases he owned, filing it with as much as he could. He packed his sports car with as much as the car would hold, but Camaro's were not meant to be used in this manner.

Hesitating a moment beside his car, his gaze swept his mothers property, her carefully manicured floral gardens, and her vegetable garden he'd learned to care for. He'd miss this place. He'd even miss working at the Jeffersonian. While it was true, he was a loner, he did make a few friends.

Adam was grateful that he has his mother's sizeable inheritance he received upon her death to use as money until he reached his destination. He was also grateful that he had the bulk of that money in cash. Mostly because of his hours, it was easier to have on hand than to go to the bank during his sleep time. Plus it would be harder to find him when he was using cash.

His car fully packed, he hurried into the house, and quickly made a peanut butter sandwich, and sprinkled a handful of chips on the plate. He snagged a Diet Pepsi from the refrigerator, and poured it into a glass.

Adam glanced at the clock on the wall. Nearly 7pm. He sprinkled the drug into the glass of Diet Pepsi, just in case. That way she wouldn't awake until he was long gone. No one would know to look for him by the time she got to the authorities. He worried a moment about her making it through the woods to find a telephone to contact someone. Then he recalled she'd spend a good deal of time out in the field with her partner, Agent Booth. She'd be fine. Plus, he was certain Booth would have half of DC looking for her too.

Adam sighed again, and brought the plate of food down to the one who he thought would bring him only happiness. He was so sorry things had gone as wrong as they had. She was sleeping. She looked somewhat pale, and unless he missed his mark, maybe slightly dehydrated. Hopefully she'd drink when she awoke.

He carefully set the plate beside her on the small table, and stood there a moment, memorizing her features. With a heavy heart, he took the stairs up one last time, closing, but no locking the door.

He walked around the back of the house to where the main phone line was connected, and cut it.

Adam got in his Camaro, and drove down the gravel road, and did not look back.

End this chapter


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was Monday morning, the sun was shining, and it was not too cool, not too warm outside. Seeley Booth was in a good mood, he whistled as he strolled into the Medico Legal Lab in search of his partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan.

He casually tossed the poker chip up in the air a few times and caught it. He hadn't been in this good of a mood since before Cam arrived here, he noted ruefully. It felt like a giant weight off of his shoulders knowing they were no longer together.

While it was true, it was good while it lasted, it was definitely a temporary thing, simply and answer to his "biological urges" as Bones would call it. He'd tell Bones when he had the chance, and it felt right. No rush.

Blue coated squints rushed around the lab area, working on various cases and projects. Dr. Jack Hodgins nodded to him as he passed his position next to Zach who was peering into a microscope, and rambling off a string of his observations, all of which Booth couldn't understand at all. Thankfully, Cam was no where to be seen. He had no desire to butt heads with her again anytime soon. She needed time to cool off.

Frowning, he approached Bones' office door. The lights were off and the door was closed. _That's strange. Usually Bones is here by now…_he thought to himself. He slid the sleeve of his suit coat up, and peered at his watch. It was nearly 10am. Something was definitely wrong.

Glancing around, to make sure no one was paying too much attention to him, he tried the doorknob to her office. It was unlocked. He quietly slipped into her office, and switched on the lights. As the lights illuminated the room, he quickly scanned the area. Everything seemed to be in place. Looks like she packed up her things and left on Friday night. No sign of a struggle. No notes.

Concern growing, he left Bones' office, and went to Angela's office. She was seated behind her computer, working on a facial recognition program. She looked up at him as he entered, and smiled "Hey Booth, you bring Brennan with you?" the artist asked him, her gaze slipping back to the computer screen.

"I was going to ask you the same question. You know she isn't here yet?" he asked her in a hushed tone

Angela stopped typing and brought her full attention to the FBI agent. "She isn't?" she replied, brows drawn "That isn't like her. Maybe she overslept?" Angela said warily, knowing even as she said it, that wasn't like her friend at all.

"Did you see her car in the lot? I thought I did when I came in" Angela pointed out, a note of hope in her voice.

"I didn't notice. I'll go look now….listen, don't worry about this. I am sure she overslept….or something" he managed, not meeting Angela's eyes, as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'll let you know what I find out…okay?" he said as he exited the office, forcing himself not to break out into a run.

He reached the parking structure, and jogged to where Brennan's designated spot was. He turned the corner and his heart nearly stopped. Her car was sitting there, all 4 tires were flat. He let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and proceeded to her car.

Carefully walking around it, he looked for blood or any other evidence of a struggle. He saw none. He looked inside the car, and on the driver's seat laid her new cell phone, broken into pieces. He slammed his fist onto the roof of her car and swore. He flipped open his cell phone and quickly called in a CSI team to process the car and the scene.

Booth hurried back into the building, and stopped at the security desk to talk to Charlie, the security manager, who may have been onsite on Friday when Bones left.

"Charlie! Hey – were you here Friday night?" Booth asked breathlessly, leaning on the counter in front of where the older man was seated.

Charlie grinned, "Sure was. Nick called out sick for night duty, so I was suck here. Why? Is there a problem?" the older man wondered, arms crossed over his wide chest.

Booth sighed audibly and took a step back and paced around for a moment in a tight circle. "Yeah, do you recall when Bo-I mean Dr. Brennan left for the evening?"

Charlie thought a moment, then after a moment, he answered "Yeah, she was outta here pretty late, probably 2 or 3am. I can check the video feed if you need me to..?" he trailed off, watching the agent expectantly

Booth thought a moment. "Yeah. Do that" he said, trying to remain calm. _How was it she always was getting herself into trouble?_ He wondered silently to himself, as he paced the hall in front of the security station.

After about 10 minutes, Charlie called to him "Agent Booth? I got it"

Booth was at the guard's side in seconds, and viewed the monitor. Sure enough. There she was. Walking out the door, she turned and said goodbye to Charlie.

The security guard stopped the tape, and looked to Booth in question. "That what you needed?"

"Yeah…yeah. Thanks" he muttered to himself as he left and went to the garage. He had no idea even where to start looking for her. His cell phone shrilled from his pocket, hopefully, he glanced at the phone, thinking it could be Bones. It wasn't. It was the CSI Unit, letting him know they were on the way.

End this chapter

More to come soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Temperance struggled up from unconsciousness. She felt leaden, weak and very groggy. With effort, her heavy lids lifted. Her mouth was dry and parched, and she felt extremely hungry. Trying to create some saliva, she swallowed, and licked her dry lips.

Her eyes opened, and for a moment, she had no recollection where she was or how she had gotten there. She stared up at the cracked ceiling. Frowning, she searched her memory for some fragment, some detail that would tell her what happened. She vaguely recalled Adam, the maintenance guy; giving her a ride, the tires on her car flat…wait…wait…he pushed a piece of material into her face….but after that…she just couldn't recall anything.

She managed to pull herself up to a sitting position, and looked around the small room; flashes of memories coming back to her, Adam in front of her, giving her a glass of water…he must have drugged the water…perhaps Rohiphnal? That would explain her lack of memory, and other physical symptoms she was exhibiting.

On the table beside the bed, was a sandwich and glass of soda. Eagerly, she gripped the glass, and swallowed the entire contents and greedily ate the peanut butter sandwich in record time. Only after she'd finished eating did she worry Adam had put more of the drug in the soda….cursing herself, she swallowed hard.

Temperance stood and steadied herself as the room spun around her, and moved to the bathroom, where she quickly drank several glasses of water. She briefly considered inducing vomiting, but knew that if there were drugs in her system, it would have already been absorbed. Her only hope was to find a way to contact Booth before the drugs took effect.

She glanced into the mirror over the sink, and was startled at how pale, weak, and almost even gaunt she looked, her hair hung in thick greasy strands, and she had dark circles beneath her bagged eyes.

Temperance quickly washed her face and finger combed her hair, and hurried out to the room she'd awoken to and slipped on her shoes and jacket.

She climbed the stairs, fully intending on knocking and shouting for Adam, however when she gripped the door knob to shake the door, the knob turned easily in her hand and swung open into a small kitchen.

The sun was streaming through the window above the kitchen sink, an ivy plant winding its way around the top of the curtain rod that cheery yellow curtains hung from. The clock on the wall told her it was 10:20am, but she had no idea what day it was, or how long she'd been here.

Hesitating, she tiptoed quietly through the house. It was quiet, and upon further inspection, deserted. Adam wasn't here at all. Letting out her breath she was holding, she picked up the phone in the kitchen, only to be greeted with silence. Frustrated, she threw the phone down, and located the front door.

She threw open the front door, and stumbled down the steps. There was no car here for her to take, and she was surrounded by woods on 3 sides. A gravel driveway led up to the main road, also gravel. Dizziness engulfed her, as the drugs began to take effect. She shook her head, and tried to mentally steady herself. She had to get help, had to get to Booth.

She walked to the end of the driveway, and glanced to the right and left, down the gravel road. No sign of any traffic for miles. The only sound to be heard was the rustle of wind in the tall grass, trees and leaves of the trees. Birds were twittering and chirping merrily on the braches of the tall oaks. She was totally isolated.

Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the gravel beneath her. She could barley make out where tire tracks had taken off to the left. She licked her lips and swallowed, and tried to remain focused on consciousness and walking down the deserted road.

End this chapter!

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this out, let me know your thoughts, you know I appreciate them! –R-


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Seeley Booth had been pacing his office floor for the last hour, waiting for some sort of answer from the agents he had out in the field looking for Bones, or information on where she was. Angela, Zack and Hodgins were all distraught with worry; Cam of course seemed almost as if she couldn't care less.

No clues of any type were found near her car or on her cell phone at all. No fibers, no hair, no blood, nothing.

After a few more moments of pacing, he finally forced himself to sit down behind his large desk. He rested his head in his hands, and stared down at his desk in front of him. He had to find a way to find her. _How the hell did she manage to get herself into so much trouble_? He wondered to himself.

Well. After this was done, and he found her, they were going to sit down and have a serious talk about their relationship. He was tired of this dance they were doing.

Life was about taking chances. She of all people should know that. He was ready to take the chance between them. _Hell, it may be the only way to keep her out of trouble_… he grimaced as he finished his coffee.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Wayne Frette stepped over a downed tree in the thick forest surrounding his home just outside of Washington DC. His dog Misty, a 3 year old Weimaraner trotted alongside him happily sniffing after squirrels, rabbits, and any other form of wildlife. Wayne was on his way out to his deer stand to get it ready for hunting season.

From off to the left somewhere a tree branch, a big one from the sounds of it, fell to the ground with a large crash. Misty jumped and hid behind a nearby shrub. Wayne regarded the dog with distaste. "Some huntin' dog you turned out to be. Git out here you dang dog" he demanded of his trembling dog

Misty peeked cautiously out from where she hid, and sheepishly joined her master's side. She glanced up at him worriedly. Wayne looked down at the grey dog. "Aww, I know. You'll never be the next great hunting dog; your secret is safe with me. Now come on…." He trailed off as he made his way through the woods.

Suddenly, without warning, Misty stood erect, her floppy ears pricked up at a sound she detected. She raised her head and sniffed, then took off barking and running as if something were chasing her.

Wayne was stunned. He'd never seen his timid dog act this way before. This was how she was supposed to act. He shoved his hat back down on his head and tried to keep up with her. "Misty….dang it, will you just WAIT?" he bellowed, trying not to trip and break his neck on a rock or tree root. Misty was just up head past the clearing on Five Mile Creek road, sitting and waiting for him.

As he emerged from the trees and brush, he immediately saw why she'd been barking and carrying on. She'd found someone alongside the road, a woman, in a crumpled heap. Misty was sitting beside the woman, whining and waiting for her master to come to the woman's aide.

Wayne huffed a bit as he knelt down beside the woman. He turned her over slightly, and make sure she wasn't physically injured. She seemed okay, although unconscious. Dark circles beneath her eyes, painfully thin. He felt her pockets for a cell phone, or ID, and found nothing, he checked her inside pocket and his fingers touched paper, it felt like a business card. He withdrew the torn card.

"Federal Bureau of Investigation – Seeley Booth – Special Agent" it said.

Good enough for him. He pulled out his own cell phone and quickly dialed the number. He reached out and patted his dog Misty, and told her "Good Girl Misty. Good Girl"

End this chapter – more to come!

Thank you for the reviews, glad you are reading and enjoying! Also thanks to those who have added my stories as favorites.

– R-


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Wayne Frette peered anxiously down at the young woman who lay unconscious before him, his dog Misty whined briefly and chuffed at him pleadingly, almost as if to say "come on…help her".

Misty lay in the gravel road, her head resting in her paws, looking mournfully at the young woman. He'd never seen her act this way towards anyone. She was normally so shy, and quiet especially around strangers she didn't know.

Wayne had noticed it was quite cool and breezy outside for what the young woman was wearing, despite her jacket. He didn't want her to catch a chill, on top of everything else she'd been through, so he'd slipped his orange hunters jacket off, and draped it over her, and removed his gloves and put them under her head. How in the world had she stumbled out here anyway? There were not very many people who lived down this road, only himself, Mrs. Rogne's son, and then old Mrs. Bouffleur at the end of the road, 5 miles out. They were all several miles apart, and this wasn't exactly an area hikers tended to go, maybe thing young woman was seeing Adam? He wondered, and pushed the thought aside, it was none of his business. He'd be sure and voice his suspicious to this Booth fella though.

Wayne absently stroked Misty's soft grey fur, his right hand pressing the cell phone to his ear. Finally the connection was made, and the other end began to ring. Wayne sighed a sigh of relief, thank goodness it was ringing. After a few rings, a male voice picked up.

"Booth" the male voice said shortly

"Uh…Agent Seeley Booth?" Wayne questioned uncertainly

"Yes, can I help you sir?" this Booth person sounded irritated

"Well I hope so. My name is Wayne Frette, I live 'bout 20 miles out of DC on Five Mile Creek Road, right off of highway 65, and well…I guess I found your card on a lady here, thing is…-" Wayne was suddenly cut off by the Agent abruptly

"What does she look like? Brownish auburn hair? Fair complexion?" questions shot out at him one after another, leaving Wayne no room to answer

"Why yes, that 'bout describes her to a T – thank goodness! you need to get out here right quick young man, she's unconscious, and if I may say, not lookin' so good either" Wayne advised Agent Booth

"Okay, thank you, an ambulance is on the way, and I will be out there personally also to ask a few questions Mr. Frette" and the Agent had disconnected.

Wayne Frette disconnected his cell phone, and slipped it into the front pocket of his flannel. He stared down at the young woman; concern etched across his face as he tucked a strand of hair that was across her eyes behind her ear and waited.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Agent Seeley Booth hurried out to his SUV and quickly started the engine and gunned the engine out of the lot. Bones was found. He sent silent thanks up that his prayers were answered and she was alive. He was planning on meeting the ambulance where she was, he knew he could just as well meet it at the hospital, and send agents out to interview the man who'd found her, but he HAD to see her with his own eyes for himself.

He speed dialed Angela and gave her the news to let the rest of the squints know. Angela wanted to meet at where she was found too, but Booth told her no, he'd call her and let her know what was happening. She was crying, and he felt a pang of guilt at how short he was with her, but he also knew Hodgins would comfort her.

_How the hell had she wound up out there?_ He wondered to himself silently, his fingers gripped around the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were white. He ground his teeth as he drove, making his jaw ache, and effectively eliminating what was left of his tooth enamel. He'd give just about anything for an antacid right now.

He knew he had to calm down, so he reached over and turned on the stereo, hoping some music would help. "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner came blaring out of the speakers of the SUV. He swore, and quickly turned it back off again.

Booth pressed the accelerator and flipped the switch to turn on the lights. He didn't want to miss the ambulance. He should have asked if she was injured, he thought to himself angrily.

_What if she was bleeding? Why was she unconscious? Did she hit her head? Drugged_?

He gulped, as the next thought occurred to him, _in a coma?_

He shook his head briefly and reminded himself what Bones always told him, "Don't jump to conclusions". He tried to keep dark thoughts from entering his mind, and instead concentrated on what he was going to do when he found out who was responsible for this.

End this chapter

A/N: Okay – you know what to do – time to review and tell me you are out there reading this! –R-


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Okay – much thanks to each of you who take the time to review, its nice knowing your thoughts, that you're enjoying this, or just out there! As reviews for this fiction or others I've written come in – I can't help but be shocked that people actually LIKE what I am doing! So THANK YOU ALL! –Riviera41797-_

Chapter 10

Seeley Booth slammed on the brakes of his SUV, threw it into park and hurried out of the vehicle, the ambulance just a few minutes behind him. The gravel road was a cloud of smoke as his vehicle had sped down the road, disrupting dirt and gravel. The dark finish of his SUV was covered in a fine film of dirt from the dust the road had kicked up.

The sun was beginning to set, so it was getting darker out, and cooler. The sky was a palette of indigo and a blaze of orange and yellow. The song of crickets had begun, and a few birds were flying from branch to branch twittering as they did so.

Booth spotted the older man wearing jeans and a red flannel shirt. He was crouched down beside Bones and he quickly reached his side, and knelt beside an unconscious Bones. He struggled to swallow past the lump that seemed to lodged in his throat. She looked terrible, extremely pale, dark circles under her eyes, her hair in long stringy strands, and gaunt. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and he quickly felt for her pulse, it was somewhat slow and weak, her breathing shallow.

_Who the hell was responsible for this?_ His mind raced at the possibilities, he reined in his anger, knowing to save that for later. He stood and regarded the other man.

Booth held out his badge for Mr. Frette to see, and the older man stood, and offered his right hand for him to shake, he accepted the gesture. Booth estimated Wayne to be about 6"3, maybe 220 pounds, light blonde with grey hair. He glanced down and spotted a grey dog stationed beside Bones. The dog regarded him warily, her stub of a tail wagged twice.

"Agent Booth, thank you for getten' here so quick. She isn't looken too good. Ambulance on the way?" Wayne asked, peering over Booths shoulder expectantly, and meeting his eyes again.

Wayne ran his hands through his hair and replaced his orange cap. He sighed wearily. "Nothing ever happened like this round here before…" he trailed off, looking down at Temperance again.

"Yes, it should be arriving momentarily…." Booth trailed off as he stepped around the man and went to Bones' side. He lowered himself to the ground, and lifted her head and placed it in his lap, pulling the hunting jacket up around her shoulders more securely.

"Bones…hey…come on Bones, wake up…" he called to her, staring at her eyes, willing them to open. "_Temperance…"_ he tried with more emphasis, no response. Her eyes remained stubbornly closed. He glanced up at Wayne, who was looking down at him with sympathy.

Misty hadn't moved an inch. She whined again and looked from Booth to Wayne and back to Booth again. "Misty" Wayne called to her, "Come". Misty stood and trotted to his side, and sat down.

"How long has she been out here? Was this were you found her?" Booth asked the other man quickly, as the wail of the ambulance siren was heard in the near distance.

"I don't know how long she's been out here, Misty here found her. I was just out in the woods, gonna get my huntin' stand ready for the season" Wayne advised him, shoving his hands into his pockets, and kicking at the gravel with his work boots.

"Who else lives out this way?" Booth asked, raising his voice to be heard over the quickly approaching siren. He looked over his shoulder and saw the red flashing lights making their way down Five Mile Creek road.

"Well, myself, then Adam Rogne, and old Mrs. Bouffleur 5 miles out. Lotta forest between our homes….young lady there musta walked at least a few miles. My place borders Adams" Wayne said, gesturing down the road to the right.

The ambulance pulled up beside where he and Wayne were, and hurried over to where Temperance lay. Booth gently transferred her head back down on the other mans gloves and let the paramedics do their job.

Booth stood by and watched as the two paramedics quickly loaded Temperance onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. The moment she was inside, the one paramedic began to check her vitals, after slipping an oxygen mask over her face, as the other paramedic shut the doors.

Booth was behind the young paramedic as he turned from shutting the rear doors, and jumped a little at Booth standing there, a dark expression on his face.

"Yes sir?" the young man asked, startled and somewhat intimidated by the FBI Agent.

"You taking her back to North Memorial?" Booth quietly demanded

"Yes sir, we are, excuse me" and the young man rushed to the drivers door and got in, turned the sirens back on and took off in a cloud of gravel dust again.

Booth watched the ambulance leave and turned back to the older man.

"Mr. Frette, you said that you had a neighbor to your right, Adam was it?" Booth asked, pulling out a pen and paper from his inside pocket.

Misty had gone off to sniff in the brush along side the gravel road, Wayne gazed off towards his dog, and answered "Yeah, Adam Rogne. He inherited his ma's place a while back, young man. Probably 'bout that young woman's age, nice enough kid, keeps to himself though. You'll find his driveway 'bout 2 miles down the road there" he pointed to the right. "Then old Mrs. Bouffleur lives past him 5 miles down. Fiesty old thing, her kids take good care of her. This here is a dead end road though, so we don't see a lotta traffic" Wayne advised him.

Booth looked to the older man, and said "Thank you for calling me sir. I appreciate it. If you think of anything else, you can reach me on the card you found, okay?"

"Guess it was right lucky she had that card of yours in her pocket, wasn't it son?" Wayne said grimly

Booth looked at him a moment, then turned and head back to his vehicle. He slid into the drivers seat and sat there a moment, hesitating. He really wanted to get to the hospital to check on Bones, but something told him he should go and check out this Adam character.

Ignoring the urge to check out Adam, he started the SUV and sped down the gravel road, swerving only once to avoid hitting a rabbit sitting in the middle of the road. The rabbit jumped and hopped quickly to the side of the road out of the way.

Booth opened his cell phone and called Hodgins to let everyone know what was happening. He could hear Angela in the background demanding to know what was going on, and was Brennan okay. Hodgins agreed to meet him with Angela and Zach at the hospital in 20 minutes.

Booth closed his cell phone and slipped it into his pocket. He couldn't seem to shake the picture of the way she looked when he cradled her head in his lap. She looked so fragile, so weak. Not at all like the strong woman he knew. Knowing that she was nearly alone in the world made his heart lurch. He would make sure she'd never feel alone again.

End this chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Adam Rogne drove steadily at the posted speed limit, his cruise control set. He wasn't tired at all, given he'd been driving non stop, other than stopping for gas, since he left his home in DC. He watched the scenery slip by without interest. Not really seeing it, just something to keep his mind from drifting back home.

The map he'd purchased lay in the passenger seat, opened to his current location, just between West Virginia and Kentucky. He took a long swallow of Diet Pepsi, and set the can back down in the beverage holder between the 2 bucket seats, and sighed heavily.

Adam glanced to the left as he passed a sign declaring "Kentucky welcomes you!!!" He'd made good time, all things considered. He hadn't heard anything on the radio about famous local forensic anthropologist and best selling author Temperance Brennan being kidnapped or found. He shut the radio off long ago, because he couldn't seem to pick up any good radio stations, and all of his CD's were left behind, so he drove along in silence. The only sound was the low throaty rumble of the Camaro's modified 450 horsepower engine. There were few cars on the road right now, mostly locals, few out of town plates, he noted to himself, which was good for him, because a flashy car like his would certainly draw attention.

Adams mind kept drifting back to Temperance, the way she smiled at him, her laugh, how hard she worked for victims. She was alone in the world. All he wanted to do was help her. Shelter her from Booth's indiscretions. The fact that she already knew really threw him. Did he make the right choice leaving? Maybe they still could have built a relationship…?

Adam felt guilty for what he'd done to her. He let his fantasies take over, he realized that with horror. He knew he committed a crime, even though his intentions were good. He really didn't want to go to jail, appear in court, all that legal stuff he knew would happen, but he was worried again about Temperance.

What if he'd given her too much Rohiphnal? He thought suddenly, panicked. What if she was hurt, or injured at his home? He considered turning back and going home again face the music. Agent Seeley Booth's face loomed in front of him. He really didn't want to face him. Adam knew it would be bad….and yet….he shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

He weighed his options. Go home, face the music and the formidable Seeley Booth, or run. He knew if he ran, this Booth guy probably wouldn't give up until he found him anyway, then he'd probably be in more trouble.

A sign ahead advised drivers a wayside rest was ½ mile away. Adam scrubbed his hand across his face, as he reached a crossroad in his mind. He knew what he had to do.

He accelerated the Camaro, and pulled into the wayside rest, the parking area was deserted, so without stopping, he sped through the lot and went back out to the freeway, heading back home again.

His mother taught him to accept the consequences of his actions regardless how unpleasant. What kind of person was he to leave her alone, drugged and helpless? He had to go home and make sure she was okay.

Maybe after the drugs had worn off, they'd talk. She was a very understanding person, he knew. She'd probably understand and not press charges. Maybe he'd even ask her not to tell Booth.

Adam grimaced. Yes, he would defiantly insist that Booth not be made aware.

End this chapter!

Many thanks for the reviews!! It helps me so much knowing you guys are out there!!


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews! Sorry for the delay – Christmas kept me busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Will try to update tomorrow!

-R-

Chapter 12

Temperance Brennan's eyes were heavy as she swam up from unconsciousness, struggling to open her eyes. She felt heavy, sluggish, as if she were drugged at some point. Confused as to where she was, her curiosity insisted she do whatever it took to open them. After a moment of struggling, she instead concentrated on the sounds and smells surrounding her, which required a lot less effort.

She could hear the distinctive beep of a heart monitor, and she could feel an oxygen sensor on her fingertip. There was a hiss of oxygen, yet she couldn't be sure if she was wearing an oxygen mask or tube.

She was covered to her chest, with what could only be blankets, and lay flat on her back on a firm mattress. A flat, thinly stuffed pillow beneath her head. The scent of the room was very antiseptic, and she could hear the bustle of people, visitors, nurses and doctors in the corridor outside her room.

The only logical conclusion was that she was in the hospital…but why? Was she in some sort of accident?

Temperance searched her memory for some reason for her to be here. The last thing she remembered was leaving the Jeffersonian after working late Friday night. She tried to recall what had happened after that, but was met with nothing. Not a clue, no flashes of memory, not even a hint. It was like her memory was totally wiped clean.

As she lay there trying to sort out her memories and her location in her mind, she thought she heard a sigh, then a rustle of fabric. She strained to listen for more sounds, and was met with more silence. Someone was there with her, yet she couldn't seem to open her eyes, or let anyone know she was awake.

Temperance tried to open her mouth to speak, but it remained stubbornly closed. The taste in her mouth was horrible, much like it tasted like after breathing through her mouth all night. She longed for a glass of water, or something cool to drink, but was powerless to make her thirst known. Frustrated at her lack of body control, she gave up and tried to calm the rising panic she was beginning to feel.

Suddenly, a strong, warm hand enveloped her own. A familiar scent drifted in her direction. Before she could make the connection on the identity of the person in the room, the voice told her who it was.

"Come on Bones…open your eyes…" Booth commanded her, his voice low, yet persistent.

Her heart leapt at his voice, and she tried again with all her might to open her eyes, to talk, to move SOMETHING to let him know she heard him, but again, was unable to. She heard her heart monitor in the room, the pace of her heart beat had increased.

"Bones?" Booth said cautiously, "Can you hear me?" he asked, hope filling his voice

"Okay Bones….just….just stay with me here…I am going to go get the doctor" his warm hand left hers slack, and she could hear his footsteps echo down the corridor, and his voice call out "Doctor? Nurse? Can I get someone in here?"

After a pause, and some commotion outside her room, she could hear someone enter the room to check her vitals. Booth told the other person urgently "I was talking to her and that thing over there increased. That's her heart, right? What does that mean? Is that good? Does that mean she is waking up?" not giving any time for the person to answer, he was asking the questions one after the other impatiently.

"Yes, that is a heart monitor. It is perfectly normal for the heart rate to fluctuate sporadically from time to time. The level of Rohiphnal was close to overdose in her bloodstream. The doctor is uncertain when she will be regaining consciousness Agent Booth" a pause, then a womans voice went on: "If I may say so, you look terrible. You should go home, get some rest. She may awaken during by the time you return. We'll call of course if there is any change" the woman gently advised her partner.

"No. I am not leaving until she wakes up. I am fine. I'll just get some coffee, and you know, wait here. It's no problem" he assured the woman. "Plus I have the uh, vending machine down the hall" he pointed out.

The woman signed and must have left. Temperance was greeted again with silence, and she wondered if Booth was still there, or if he went to go get coffee. Almost as if in answer to her silent question, his warm hand enveloped hers again.

"I am not leaving until you wake up Bones. So you better wake up soon, or it will be me giving you your next sponge bath, and I know you'd be completely embarrassed by that, so come on. I know you're in there..." he trailed off, the humor leaving his voice.

Again, the heart monitor indicated her heart rate increased.

She could feel herself smiling at what he'd just said. He must have seen her smile, because he went on "And you know, you could use a sponge bath to be perfectly honest there Bones…"

She managed to pry her eyes open, and was greeted with a very tired looking Seeley Booth. It looked as if he hadn't shaved or groomed himself in a few days, his clothes rumpled, and circles under his eyes.

He smiled broadly and leaned over and hugged her small frame. "See, I was scared, and I hugged YOU" he reminded her whispering in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. He went on : "See, I knew if I kept nagging, you'd wake up for me" He pulled back and looked at her, his deep brown eyes intense.

"You need anything? Water? Maybe I should call the doctor or…?" he trailed off, waiting for her to answer.

After a moment of struggling, she managed "You are NOT giving me a sponge bath Booth"

He smiled down at her from where he stood at her bedside, relieved to see her awake.

"Well….maybe I'll just assist then…" he said and winked at her

End this chapter


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Booth I told you, I don't remember anything" Temperance Brennan reminded her partner impatiently with a sigh, her arms crossed over her chest.

It was mid afternoon; Booth had just brought her home from the hospital. She glanced away from him, and out the window of her apartment. It was sunny and cool outside today. The leaves had all fallen from the trees outside her window; and the branches slapped against the glass in the wind, rattling the glass in the window frame.

She'd insisted on being released from the hospital, despite the doctor's protests. Booth was NOT happy that she demanded to be released either. He took her home, but didn't hesitate to let her know how he felt about it the entire route there.

Booth's alpha male tendencies were showing through, and while it normally bothered her, somehow today it didn't and she let it go, understanding how upset he'd been at the entire situation. He was one who liked to be in control in most situations, and this was a situation he couldn't be in control of due to her lack of memory. She could understand his frustration.

Angela had spent the entire night at her bedside, and ironically, it was Temperance who had to soothe Angela, rather than the other way around, as her friend was nearly hysterical with worry. Hodgins of course thought it was some type of conspiracy to silence her because of a case they'd been working on together, and Zach just seemed glad it was over. She was surprised Cam didn't make an appearance, but didn't put much thought into it.

She watched Booth pace her apartment. He had finally gone home after she'd awoken, but only after the doctor did an examination and reassured him she'd be okay with some rest, but they wanted to keep her there for a few days for observation. No amount of bulling on her part could convince them to allow her to leave then and there.

She was still somewhat weak and tired, but glad to be home. She was irritated with herself that she couldn't recall anything other than leaving the Jeffersonian Friday night. She hoped that with time, some fragments of her memory would return, but similar to what had happened in New Orleans, it didn't seem likely.

Booth was unable do much of any type of investigation without more knowledge as to a description of who'd abducted her, but he was trying.

He sighed and scrubbed his hand across his face, he looked up at the ceiling for a long moment and finally back to her again. "Okay Bones. I have your apartment being watched by a few agents parked outside. I am going to go check out the area you were found, talk to the neighbors, you know…" he trailed off, and began to pace again.

"Well I want to go with you Booth, maybe I'll remember something" she said and started to stand up from where he insisted she sit down on the sofa. He turned to face her and placed both his hands on her shoulders, his eyes intense on her own "Bones. Please. I need to know you are here, at home safe. You were just abducted. Let me do this, okay? I promise to lay off the alpha male thing after this is through, but I just…" he stopped and removed his hands from her shoulders, and walked to the window and looked out.

Temperance watched him, surprised at his emotional reaction, but said nothing. After a long pause between them, she broke the uncomfortable silence and relented, "Okay…okay. I will stay here…I guess. But don't for a minute think you are going to start leaving me behind on cases" she stated firmly, poking one finger in his direction, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

He turned to face her, his face drawn and serious. "Temperance, when this case is done, we need to talk, okay?" he shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket

Her curiosity aroused, and surprised that he used her first name, her eyebrows raised and she asked "about what?"

"Bones…did you not catch the part where I said 'when this case is done?' - Later. We will talk later. I'll call when I know more about what's going on…just take it easy okay? Angela is coming by later, so just for once, let someone take care of you" before she could react, he walked to her and leaned over and kissed her forehead gently and left.

She sat there stunned. What was that about? He kissed her! What does that mean? Was that a partner to partner thing? She knew for sure it wasn't a "guy kiss".

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she leaned back into the sofa and closed her eyes.

End this chapter

A/N: okay – I don't think the update thing was working on chapter 12, because I didn't hear from a lot of you…hoping you are all still out there! – R -


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry for the delay between chapters – between the holidays, and this past Monday being my birthday been busy! More updates to come more frequently! - R –

Chapter 14

Seeley Booth slowly drove down the same gravel road he'd been called to the other day when the call came in that Bones had been found. His heart still skipped a beat when he thought about it. He glanced quickly down at the sheet of paper he'd written down the names and addresses Wayne Frette had given him the other day. Booth knew he could send out agents to do this for him, but this one hit too close to home, this was something he wanted to do himself.

He scanned the sides of the road for anything out of the ordinary he may have missed the other day. Seeing nothing that caught his attention, he proceeded on towards Adam Rogne's house. He spotted the entrance to the driveway and accelerated briefly, and instead of parking in the driveway, something told him to park along the road in the ditch. He pulled into the tall grass and shut off the ignition.

He got out and stood beside his truck a moment staring into the woods beside the small house, there seemed to be woods surrounding the small home on all sides. _This is pretty secluded_, he thought to himself, as he took in his surroundings. It was eerily quiet. The only sounds to be heard were the local wildlife, and the sounds of his footsteps in the grass and leaves. No traffic or city sounds at all. It was hard to believe he wasn't that far outside of DC.

Cautiously approaching the house, he took the 3 steps up to the front door and knocked. He peered into the home through the small square window on the door. It seemed deserted. He knocked again more loudly, and said "FBI, open up".

He waited another moment, before trying the door knob. It turned easily in his hand. Surprised, he entered the home, calling out as he did stepped across the threshold. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Several plants decorated the small living room. A small couch, chair and matching end tables were the only furniture in the room. No television set or stereo. More plants hung from the hooks in the ceiling. Doilies were on the arms of the chair and couch, as well as frames with photographs scattered throughout. Not taking the time to scan every picture, he moved on into the next area.

Light from outside cast a yellow glow from the sun outside onto the greenery scattered throughout the home. It was also very quiet inside the house as well. Doing a cursory search of the upper level, Booth found no evidence of anyone having been here recently. The bedroom in the back looked as if it hadn't been slept in recently, and the closet was nearly empty.

Spying an open door in the kitchen, he turned on the light inside the doorway, and stairs leading to a lower level illuminated the darkness. He ascended the stairs and was greeted by a small living area.

A computer, day bed, and bookshelf adorned the room. He approached the bed, and a small table. On the table was a plate and glass. The bed looked rumpled, as if someone had been there not too long ago. Moving on to the bookshelf, he was surprised to see Bones' books she'd written on the shelf.

Suspicious, he glanced back at the bed, and went back upstairs. He opened a few cupboards, and then the refrigerator, most were nearly empty. He opened another small, narrow cupboard to the left of the sink, and found a bottle of Rohiphnal.

_Bingo_ he thought

This is what the doctors at the hospital said was in Bones' blood stream. Placing the bottle in an evidence bag, he shoved the bag in his pocket, and turned to leave when he heard tires on gravel in the driveway.

Booth hurried to the front door and stood behind where it would swing open, hoping to surprise the person who would be entering. He quickly glanced out the small window on the door and saw a flashy red Camaro. It looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't recall where he'd seen it. He quietly upholstered his gun and held his breath, waiting.

Adam Rogne smiled as he approached his home. He was glad to be back. He hoped that Temperance was okay. She'd be glad to see him, of course. She probably didn't even know the door at the top of the stairs was unlocked, he thought, chuckling to himself softly, and shaking his head.

End this chapter


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I sure wish the alerts were working for you guys – thank you for the reviews!! –R-

Chapter 15

Agent Booth held his breath as the man came through the door he was stationed behind. He had heard the deep throaty rumble of the Camaro pull in the driveway and shut off, the door of the car slammed, and footsteps on gravel leading up to the door.

The door creaked slightly as it swung open, and without hesitation, the man entered the house. From behind, in one fluid motion, Booth kicked the door shut with his foot and withdrew his gun, calling out to the man "FBI, stop where you are"; his entire body was tense, ready to confront this person.

The man turned to face him, and Booth was taken aback. It was the janitor guy from the Jeffersonian. His dark blonde tousled hair was wind blown, his brown leather jacket unzipped, the young mans face a mask of surprise, then after a second turned to hostility, as recognition crossed his features.

_What a pretty boy_, Booth thought to himself _I doubt with his looks he has had to work very hard a day in his life. _

"What are you doing here Booth?" the young man said, as he raised his hands, his eyes dark and angry.

"Follow-up investigation in the kidnapping and attempted murder of Dr. Temperance Brennan, with whom I know you are acquainted" he stated, matter of factly.

"Okay, lets move over here to the kitchen, I need some answers here, Mr. Janitor guy" Booth advised him, gesturing with his gun in the direction he wanted the young man to go.

"Adam. My name is **ADAM **Agent Booth" he said sarcastically "But you don't care about taking the time to get to know people behind the scenes, do you? All you care about is yourself and maybe Dr. Saroyan" he continued on bitterly, as he lowered himself onto the kitchen chair, hands still raised.

Saying nothing, Booth quickly handcuffed Adam, and sat across from him. Regarding Adam for a moment, digesting what he'd just said, and asked "So, why did you kidnap Dr. Brennan Adam? You know you almost killed her with the drugs you gave her? Huh?" he nearly shouted at him, "I know she's been nothing but kind to you and this is how you thank her. Nice." He stated plainly

Adam turned his face away from Booth, and laughed mirthlessly. "Kidnap" he said and shook his head with a smile. "I didn't kidnap her Agent Booth, I rescued her" and he turned back to meet the agents eyes.

Booth struggled to remain calm, and not to choke the life out of this bastard, who was obviously delusional.

"Rescue her huh? You wanna enlighten me here Adam from what it was she needed rescuing from?" he asked calmly, watching the young man closely. _Calm calm calm…stay calm _he chanted to himself mentally. _The FBI frowns on killing suspects, he reminded_ himself

Adam barked out a short laugh, "You, Agent Booth, she needed protection from you. She didn't need to find out about you screwing her boss behind her back." Adam paused, looked away and then back at him again "You are supposed to be her partner. You are supposed to care about her. I mean, come on man, anyone, including a lowly janitor like me can see she cares about you, and what do you do in response? You screw her boss. Now that's classy" Adam said sarcastically, and he laughed again, almost manically.

Unable to restrain his temper any more, he reached across the table, and picked up Adam by the collar of his shirt and jacket, bringing his face inches from his own, "I've had just about enough of this. I don't need you telling me what you think I have or haven't done. I'm taking you in, Adam" he told him. Before he could say anything else, Adam went on, his voice quiet, resigned:

"Everyone in the world has left her. Her family, even that boyfriend David. Now you do this. As wrong as it was to do what I did, and I know it was wrong, I was trying to keep her from being hurt. I was going to show her someone could be there for her always; even I am not a big shot FBI Agent or an investment banker. I was coming back here because I was worried. Worried because I deserted her like all the others, left her alone, and was worried I gave her too much Rohiphnal. I knew the chance was likely I'd get caught Agent Booth" Adam met his eyes, his guilt evident, his anger gone.

Booth released him from his strong grip, gave him a shake, slamming him down into the chair he'd been sitting in, came around the side of the table, and read Adam his Miranda rights, and escorted him out to his SUV.

Adam said nothing during the entire Miranda rights, and nothing at all during the walk to the SUV, or on the ride back to DC.

Booth turned him over to the authorities, and before they led him away, he turned to look at Booth for the first time since their confrontation and said "She isn't going to wait around for you forever Booth. Act now before it's too late", the officers jerked him away, and left Booth staring after him, eyebrows drawn, lost in thought for what the other man had said.

End this chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Last Chapter -

Seeley Booth stood in front of Temperance Brennan's apartment door; he let out a sigh, as he shoved one hand in his pocket, knocked and waited for her to answer.

It was 11pm, and although it was late, he was hoping she was awake. In his pocket, he fingered his poker chip nervously. _It was now or never_, he thought to himself.

After a few moments, he heard the click of the lock on the door and was greeted with a pajama clad Bones. Her eyebrows rose, "Booth…you know it's after 11 right?" She was wearing a thick purple robe, knotted securely at the waist. She looked a lot better than she did when he left her here before, which set his mind at ease somewhat.

Saying nothing, he pushed his way past her into her apartment. She followed him, and replied "Where are my manners, come in…" she trailed off shut the door and followed him in.

He glanced back at her, and stopped. "Bones…you look good, a lot better than earlier. How are you feeling?" he wanted to know, examining her closely, her eye were bright, her skin tone rosy. She looked almost back to normal.

Ignoring what he said, she sat down at the chair in her living room, looking up at him, and asked "So what happened when you went out to interview those people?"

Warily, he sat down across from her, and clasped his hands. "I got him Bones. Got the guy who kidnapped you. It was that janitor guy from the Jeffersonian, Adam" he said and watched her for her reaction.

She frowned and stared off into space a moment before replying. "Adam?" she said hesitantly. "But he…." She trailed off; he could see she was deep in thought

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" he prodded, leaning forward, watching her expectantly.

"He….I think he came to see me Friday night, before I left…not sure though, my memory is not clear" she continued to frown, and stare off into space.

He waited expectantly, not wanting to say anything to break the spell. After a moment, she continued "Wait….my car, something was wrong with my car, and Adam was there, wasn't he?" she asked herself aloud.

"Bones?" he prompted after another long silence

"Booth, I'm sorry. That's all I can think of right now. Are you sure it was Adam though? He seemed so nice. I really liked him….wait! I remember being in his car, he shoved something in my face…then everything went black" she glanced at him, "why would he do that? Why would he want to kidnap me? Did he ask for money?" she wanted to know

Booth glanced away uneasily. "No, he didn't ask for money"

Bones looked irritated now "Well what did he want then? What did he say when you interviewed him Booth?" she crossed her arms in front of her. He finally lowered himself down onto the chair opposite her. A candle was lit on the table between them.

"Bones…" he trailed off, and glanced around the apartment, wishing she'd drop this, but also knowing her well enough to know she wouldn't

"Booth, come on, why are you not telling me" she said, anger evident in her voice now.

"Okay Bones. Here it is. He kidnapped you to protect you from finding out about me and Cam. Which by the way is over I might add." he watched her expression carefully – the anger softened to confusion

"What? Protect me? I don't understand. I already knew about you and Cam. What was there to protect me from? And why would HE need to do it?" she said, more to herself than to him

"Apparently, he was under the impression that you would be devastated by this news, and felt the need to protect you Bones" he said quietly "he also seemed to be under the impression that you had feelings for me Bones, and that everyone could see it" he trailed off, uncomfortable with this line of conversation.

Temperance shifted in her seat, and finally dragged her eyes up from the hem of her robe she'd been picking at "Everyone?" she echoed hesitantly, her cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink as she met his eyes "I guess my secret's out isn't it?" she stated plainly

They met each others eyes, and they could both feel the tension between them.

Unconsciously, they both leaned in towards each other over the small table. He reached his hand out, and pulled her closer to him, his fingers entwined in her soft hair. And then leaning in closer still, he pressed his lips against hers; he lingered at the edge of her tongue.

She did not resist, much to his surprise, her tongue was inviting, her lips warm and moist. He withdrew slowly, and his lips found hers again. This time he was more daring, more exploratory.

It had been too long since he'd been kissed ardently. When she offered him her lips for the third time, he surrendered, feeling her arms twine around his neck, her fingers in his hair, driving him crazy. He slipped his other hand in her hair also, the pace picking up a notch

It seemed like an hour, but only moments had passed, and she pulled back again, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Booth, did you feel hot just now?" she asked, her tone light

His eyebrows rose at her bluntness, before he could answer her, she went on

"Because the candle below us was really hot on my face" she said with a smile

He glanced down at the candle between them and grinned back at her "So it wasn't me making you hot then Bones?" he teased

She stood up, and took his hand, inviting him to stand also, she took a step and wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressing into his own - and looked up into his eyes

"You've always made me hot Booth, I was just good at hiding it" she admitted casually

"Oh really? You were hiding it huh?" he answered her, leaning in close again

"Yeah, I was. Maybe if you follow me, I can show you a few other things" she said casually, as she slowly untied her robe, and pulled away from him, sauntering off towards her bedroom, he felt himself being pulled towards her, following her, his mouth dry.

"Yeah, I need some evidence here…" he trailed off as he kicked the bedroom door shut.

The end!

Much thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate each and every one, and I'm glad you all have enjoyed this story.


End file.
